Method for the lye treatment of petroleum oils



.lum 17, 1930.

C. K. PARKER METHOD ,FOR THE LYE TREATMENT OF PETROLEUM OILS Filed Aug. 6, 1925 C 16ml xi a w m\ QM $50 amvb@ Patented June 17, 17930 UHARLES'K.' PARKER, OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS,

To STAND-ARD oIL'CoMrANY' or CALIFORNIA, or sAN- FRANCISCO, CALI- ronNrA, A CORPORATION ori-.DELAWARE METHOD FOR THE LYE TREATMENT OF PETROLEUM OILS Application led Augustr, 1925. Serial No. 48,489.

This invention relates to a method for the lye treatment of petroleum oils, particularly lubricatingoils. y i

In the renement of petroleum distillates it is generally necessary to remove acids therefrom.. These acids may be either or? ganic acids naturally occurring in the oil or organic acidsformed by the action of sulphuric acid upon the oil during the relining process, or mineral acids remaining inthe oil after the treatment with acid. Thev general practice in the art is to remove these acids by neutralizing them with av lye solution such as a solution of sodium hydroxide and then Wash the oil free from the soaps and salts so formed with Water. In the Washing `of the more viscous distillates, such as are used for lubricating oils, emulsions are formed which carry away good oil along With the impurities in the Wash vvater. These emulsions also cause Water containing impurities to remain suspended in the oil, making it difficult to Wash the oil free from impurities. The emulsifying effect becomes progressively pronounced as the'viscosity of the oil increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for lye treatment of petroleum oils by which such organic acids and other acids may be removed from the oils in a continuous manner and in a relatively short time and Without producing any emulsion of the oil and lye solution, thus securing a purification ofthe petroleum oils Without the normal emulsification loss of the present practice. p

As a basis of the present invention it has been found that the separation of Water and oil is much improved if the operation is carried out in a closed system so that vthe pressures above atmospheric can be maintained in the apparatus. By such a procedure the boiling point of the lye solution or Water employed is raised and a much higher temperature can be used during they process.

Thesehigher temperatures it is found cause,y

the'soaps produced by the lyetreatment to become much'more soluble in the Water solution. Moreover, the viscosityl of the petroleum oils being treated 'is also reduced With As a result of such operations the petroleum oils may be purified at a very much less loss. The color and character of the finished oil is improved by the reason of the exclusion of Vair from the apparatus and oil undergoing treatment, thus preventing oxidationof the oil. It is known, for example, that Contact of air kWith a `petroleum distillate tends to form appreciable quantities of gums and other residual bodies. The character of the petroleum oils produced is improved due to therreduction ofthe acidity of the 4finished oil, due to the reductionof the ash content of the oils from lthe more complete removal 'of salts, andthe cost of treatment is lowered. An important feature ofthe invention is the carrying out of the process in a continuous vmanner and the invention also includes an yapparatus Vparticularly adapted for such purifying process.

Various objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent from the description of the preferred example of an apparatus and process embodied in this invention for which purpose reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate ldiagrammatically the preferred apparatus the result that a veryprapid. settling occurs. 59

tlingvessel. Thereby'the treating agent and oil to' be treated are thoroughly'com- ,p mingled during their passage to the settling vessel'an'd the't-rea'ting agent caused to eiliectively come in contact with all parts of the petroleum oil -f to be purified. The line 10 may lead through heat exchangersll and 12 .during its passage to the settling chamber y or'through a heater 3 orboth as indicated.

l The settling chamber 5 In any v case th'e` v oilV 4,and treating agentis passedY inthe settling chamberV at anele'-V vated temperature' substantially above-the boiling point of1 Water.A Thlstemperature osfcours. may bel''ppled fito "the" ,'O and 7 15 treating agent prior to their admixture as,

vWell as subsequent to their admixture as is the preferred method;-V -j' ,fa tapered throat l and' Yivi-tha lhorizontal elongated central portion 8 and at' the dis;r charge4 end' the s'ettlingichamber is'enlarged as" at``13 to provide Y, for `amore thorough settlingof the treating v'agent andfoilfsuch enlargement 18` beingfindicated as a vertical drum connected fat its center with the" clongated central drum portionk 8 of the Settling chamberjjf The portion 13 thus having an end eidiending'belowv and an'endleitendingabove i i' the intermediate'par't offthejsettling chamL Thefgepemd :petroleum-,@1171 and nearing agentare Withdravvnfrom separate p oints 1 ,from the" endfl' Aofthe settling chamber, the treating agent being WithdrawnY from a' line il vMat thelofvver'i-endand, the Vpetroleun'ivv oil from'a linelm'at'the upper end;j rlhe rate of v Withdrawal of such 'an' oil and'f treating agent isregulated 's o. that a' pressure` subi Y stantially labove#atmospheric isfmaintained l agent" is passed through" the heatexchanger' l 1 46 vvithinfthe settling chamber.y The treated oillis Vindicated as passing through the'heat exchanger 117 a Vline 16"being indicated by lwhich the'V treated oil l'may be by-passed by the heat4 exchanger' if desired andf'froni the heat `Y exchangerf'the treated oi-l lisfpassed through an oil' cooler y7 and pressure Vcontrol valve'9 to 'a point of storage. 1 The'treating 12,if desired, or lit maybe bypassed there aroundthrough line 17 andis'hence passed through Vcooler 6 and p'ressure'fcontrol valve A10 to apointofstorage'.

'fThe treating agentV employed may y:be

.caustic soda; solution' of suiiicient "quantity and strength to eiiect complete neutraliza- 'tionof` the acidic bodiesr inthe'oil treated,

generally considerable vexcess Lof the 1 solution being employed to obtainv averyfcompleteneutralization. of the oil. Thefpro'cess apparatus is alsoadapted forfthe'washingof the: petroleum oil with Water after 'such a 'causticsoda treatment for which purpose the oilmay bepassed again through v.the apparatus or through y ratu's'arrang'ed in series therewith.'

is provided lvvithw another similar appa-k While the method and apparatus herein described are Well adapted for accomplishing the objects of the presentinvention, it is understood that various modifications may.

be made without departing from the spiritv ofthe "invention and the invention includes all ksuch modifications .as comevvithin the 'scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v i

comprising `admiXing y'the ',oili and "an'f'alkali solutionin a conduit While continually passing the .Sar-neto a Settling Chamber, the Oil and Aalkali solution beingjgheatedlprir.to'thein suf 2. A process of treating v*petrole-uin `f` oils n whichcomprisesc'ommingling petroleum oil mixtureis continuously'passe'd togalsettling and a lyes'olution -inaline Whilef'suclrad-j chamber, the 'admiirture 'beingi'heated above the boiling point of VWater prior, tothe introduction into.suchjsettlingfchamber continu: f ously passing the admixt'urethrough the set-1 tling chamber yWhile maintainingk thereon 2 a 'pressure' greater thanatnrospheric, and con! tinuously withdrawing the 'pe'troleum and -ljyesolutioul Y L 3. A process of"V reducing the ash content of petroleumV oils' comprising continuously mixing oil with ani alkali solution, sublect# ing Vthe mixtureto a` temperature above 212 F. at elevated pressuresuntil the reiulred purification takes` place-,then gravitational-' V fly separatingthe mixture vvhile'main'taining such elevatedftemperatureiand pressure, and

continuouslyl and :separately removing treat# ed oiland spentralkalisolution;' .F v

'4'. A process ofremovingimpuritiesfirom petroleum oils whichl comprises'heating'a mixture of oil with anallraline'solution to anY elevatedr `temperature andi pressure, con,-V

tinuously passingI suchy mixture finto 4fasetiY tling chamber underl pressure iand continuously. and sep ar'ately` removing'A therefrom' the oil and the alkaline solution.

5. Al process of `treating petroleum-'foil `vvhich comprises* continuously""admixingoil with an alkali' solutioninY a conduit,heating the mixture toa temperatureabove;21.29 F. at an elevated-pressure, 'cfo'nti'nuouslyy passthev mixture'f'into a settling-"chamber under pressure and Voontinuo'uslyffand "sep arately removingv therefrom? the oil and alkali solutions While inthe- `liquid'phase;` *l

6.V A process 'of reducing-theY ashcontent of 'and removing'v impurities Vfrom; petroleum oils comprising, continually mixing oil Lwith "an aqueous lalkaline' solution,lsubjectingthe mixture toda. temperature above 212 F. at a pressure sufficient to prevent ebullition of Water until the required purification takes place, then gravtatonally separating the mixture While maintaining the same at an elevated temperature and pressure, and separately removing treated oil and spent alkaline solution.

Signed at Richmond, Calif., this 25th day of July, 1925. n

CHARLES K. PARKER. 

